2017

This sums up my mood right now. Cozy and a little lazy.

It seems a little late to write a 2017 post when January is almost over. It has taken me this long to wrap my head around the fact that it is a new year. Between my family being here, pregnancy, and just general business, I really hadn't taken the time to sit and reflect on what I wanted 2017 to look like.
After mulling it over a little, the thought I kept coming back to was transition. I feel like I am in a weird holding pattern till these babies are born. Almost like the beginning of the year will actually come after they are are born. My internal clock is waiting for them to start the countdown.
Our family is transitioning. We're going from three to five in a matter of weeks. I'm still wrestling with what I want to my day to day life look like as a stay-at-home mom. I want something concrete but it is way too soon to even begin to nail down anything. There are so many variables that I need to work through before I get any idea of what life is actually going to look like.
I am trying to be very mindful of the daily decisions that I make. It's the little decisions and everyday tasks that move life forward. I don't want to my lack of intentionality to lead me down a path I didn't intend to take. Also, any growth that I want to see is only going to come from little daily increments of effort. Trying to keep that in forefront of my mind helps me to prioritize my daily and weekly activities. It also helps alleviate some of my task oriented tunnel vision which I am very prone to get. I want to keep the big picture in front of me so that I can do a better job in my daily decision making process.
All of that to say, 2017 is going to be a year of change, both big and small. I definitely don't have a clear vision of what it's going to look like but I am resolved to just take it one step at a time and make the most every moment that I have.

General Happenings

Christmas festivities are in full swing here. We don't have a tree yet. We are waiting for my family to come into town to go pick one out. The weather has been wonderfully cold and rainy, which I love. I love the cold and to me, it's not Christmas if it isn't cold.
JW seems to be doing better at napping. It is a little touch and go some days. I just don't think he is destined to be a great napper. Hopefully, he will surprise me and really settle into his new schedule.
I'm trying to make the most of this productive time that I have. While I get tired more quickly than usual, I have not ballooned out to the point that it keeps me from getting stuff done around the house. I am trying to get as much done before I too large do anything but waddle from the bed to the couch.
It has been really nice getting to spend some more quality one-on-one time with JW. I am enjoying the quiet mornings where we read books while I drink my coffee. Our little world is going to be rocked very soon so I am trying to savor all moments we have together, just the two of us.
I need to get up and make myself some tea or I am in danger of falling asleep at my computer. These gray days are perfect for laziness but I don't have time for that!

Procrastination//New Schedule

I meant to sit down on write this the day after Thanksgiving. I didn't. I was still in a food coma from the day before and I had a lot of Gilmore Girls to watch. Saturday I spent all day shopping for the babies. Sunday is well, Sunday, so I rested. I had every intention of sitting down on Monday and writing a post but the day got away from me. Then Tuesday rolled around and JW decided that naptime was optional so I didn't have much time or energy to do anything but look after him. Now it is Wednesday and I finally getting around to writing my post. Procrastination at it's finest, right?
I am now officially a stay-at home mom. I had to move up the timeline that I talked about it my other post. An untenable situation was forming for JW. It was no longer reasonable or responsible to take him to work with me. It was hard to pull the trigger but I am glad I did. He is doing so much better and resting during the day (well, except this Tuesday, what can you do?). I feel better because I know that I am doing the right thing I and I am able to fully concentrate on taking care of him.
This new schedule still feels very foreign. I think it's because I haven't really settled on a real routine yet. I am trying to figure out how to best prioritize my time and get the most out of these days. I am enjoying being home, though. I have already tacked a lot of unfinished items that have been hanging around for seemed like forever. It's nice being able to channel all these nesting urges into home projects. I'm excited about this new chapter and I happy that I am at peace with it.
Until the next time that I get around to writing!

Warning: This Is Sappy

If you prefer not to read about romantic relationships or any of that type of mush, move on.
This was a trying week. We were deep in throes of consolidating the nap schedule, there has been a ton of stuff happening at work, and on top of that Scott was traveling all week for work. He travels quite a bit for his job, so it is not uncommon for me to be home with Baby and Puppy by myself for extended periods of time. Usually, it isn't that bad. This week, however, I was so ready for him to get back. Taking care of a 18 month old takes a lot of energy but for the most part, it is very doable by yourself. There is, however, something comforting about knowing that you don't have to do it by yourself. If I am cooking dinner, and JW is getting under my feet causing chaos, I can move him out of the way, set him up with toys etc. Just because he is in the way doesn't mean I can't get stuff done but it is so nice when to be able to ask Scott to take him for a few minutes. That's what I love about being married. I can do it myself but I don't have to.
I think that is what is beautiful about marriage. I am so thankful that I can do everything on my own but I get to live in the knowledge that I have partner who will be there to share the burden.  Scott and I have been together for 8 years, married for 5 of those. It is crazy to think about who we were when we first started dating. So much bad communication. So many needless arguments mainly incited by me and my temper. Somehow, through long distance and age differences and a bunch of other hurdles we stayed together and got married. I can honestly say that he is my best friend. Any independence that I "lost" when I got married has more than been surpassed with the security and trust I have received. The little third culture kid in me has never felt more at home.
This week reminded me so much a scene in Gilmore Girls.

It's during the season where Lorelai is frantically trying to get the inn renovated and she is at her wits end. She comes from horrible dinner at her parents' (classic) and goes over to meet Luke. Unbeknownst to Luke, Lorelai is getting ready to ask him for a loan to cover the last bit of inn renovations. The stress, the bad dinner, coupled with the fact Lorelai and Rory have not been able to talk in forever results in her having a major ugly-face cry meltdown. Luke sweetly comforts her while to pours out all of her stress and frustration. The phrase that really sticks out is Lorelai wishing she had someone in her corner who could pick up the slack. Someone who she could rely on when times got tough. Of course the audience, is screaming, "HE IS RIGHT THERE! JUST MARRY HIM ALREADY!" That's a topic for a different time. All of that to say, I am thankful that I don't have to be Lorelai in Season 4. I have have found that person.

OK, sappy post over. Back to normal life.

Pink and Blue

I wasn't able to get this out on Friday so I'm here today. Better late than never, right? We were super excited to find out that our little bundles are a boy and a girl. I am so happy. I am confident that I would have loved any combo that we could have gotten but this one makes me very happy. It kind of feels like the best of both worlds. A little boy to play with JW and a little girl for me to cover in bows. I am only slightly kidding. Knowing the genders helps me get a better idea of what we're actually going to need. I can start finalizing shopping lists and prepping all the gear. I need to organize their closet and get a good idea of how I am going to lay out the nursery. All fun things.
Have a wonderful (remainder) of your weekend!

Favorite Things 11.4.16

(Instagram)

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a good week. I am looking forward to a completely free weekend. While I have felt pretty tired lately from being pregnant, I feel like this some of my motivation has returned. You know how you can be tired but still feel like doing stuff versus having zero desire or ability to do anything? I am definitely in the tired but motivated camp right now. Hopefully, I can leverage the motivation into some completed tasks. 

I thought I would leave you with a little wrap of some things that are bringing a smile to my face right now. Everyone needs a little pick me up and these have been mine. 

1. Iced (decaf) coffee. It has been crazy warm here lately so I have indulging in some iced coffee. I love using my french press to make a batch of good strong coffee and sipping it from a mason jar. You can't beat it. 

2. Following Chris Loves Julia's One Room Challenge. Wallpaper is back, guys, and it can be so cool!

3. Rewatching Parks and Rec. We haven't watched any in over a year and it has been so fun to go back and enjoy some of our favorite episodes. I had forgotten how funny it was. 

4. Collegiate sweaters. We're going to the Georgia/Auburn game next weekend and I have already been brainstorming my outfit. I have been checking the weather religiously, because if it will be cold enough, I want to get this sweater.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! What is bringing a smile to your face lately?

Letting Go Of Balance

(Craft Street Design)

If you remember back in my pregnancy announcement, I mentioned that after the twins are born am I planning on quitting my part time job. It's a decision that I made quickly but it definitely was not made lightly. It is a pretty big deal to me.  I love working. I really truly do. I love getting to put into practice the stuff that I learned in school. I love problem solving. I love the intricacies of small businesses. I enjoy spending non-work time learning about work related topics. I listen to podcasts about leadership. I read articles about market trends. I love doing what I do. Even with all that, I knew that I couldn't continue working with three small children.
One thing that I know about myself is that I am not satisfied unless I am giving 110% to something. The problem with this type of personality is it is impossible to really and truly give all of your energy to everything. It makes prioritizing things hard. I should be able to everything and do it all well, right? Wrong. Something has to give. In the case, it is my job.
I really don't believe in work-life balance. The whole concept of trying to "balance" all the different items in our lives immediately sets us up for failure. The reality is, some things are more important or vital and therefore should receive more of our time and attention. I had a professor in school talk about shifting the discussion away from work-life balance to work-life blend. The idea being, those important or vital things are going to require more time and energy and they should be given the time and energy they need. We don't need to assume that all activities should be treated equally or given the same amount of consideration. This type of thinking was so liberating for me. It helps me limit my focus and prioritize what is important. In this case and this time in my life, the most important things is taking care of my family. If I decided to continue working, it would be to the detriment of my children. This is not a statement against working moms. I have the highest respect and admiration for women in the workforce. I just know myself really well and I know that if I continued to work after the twins were born, I would put myself in a position where I could not care for them correctly. Since, it is about blending my time and my energy, I am not going to fret about balancing out my efforts. While they are small and require so much, I really want to be able to give them the majority of my time and energy.
I like to think of it as a pie chart. Can you tell I am business nerd? The amount of time in the chart is finite because let's face it, I have to sleep. Taking care of the three little ones is going to take up a lot more time than anything else. So if I taking care of my family and everything that it entails is my main priority, that is going to severely limit the amount of time I have to spend on other things. I have to be conscientious to not add more things that I can reasonably handle. That automatically means that some things are not going to make the cut. It forces to prioritize and really come to grips with the fact that I can't do it all. I am looking forward to what this new season will teach me. Plus, it's just that, a season. This is not forever. Seasons change. I am going to make the most of this one and learn as much as I can.